Farmers throughout Nebraska and Iowa had little time to respond to the floodwaters that rushed over their lands last week, so many left their livestock and last year’s harvest behind. This has been the worst flooding in 50 years.
Now as they see their familiar landscape destroyed, discover how much they have lost, staying in business will be a mighty struggle. The widespread flooding is expected to continue through May.
Here are some ways you can help Iowa/Nebraska with Stars of HOPE:
- Paint Stars of HOPE: You can help from home by painting stars with messages of hope and healing and sending them to community members. Order a Box of HOPE to get started. Once you have painted your stars, you can send them to our Hope Bank in Iowa where they will be delivered to the affected communities.
- Donate to Stars of HOPE: After a natural disaster, our team deploys to devastated areas to bring Stars of Hope to survivors. Seeing Stars of HOPE and the words of encouragement and hope from others help survivors feel like they are not alone during their recovery.
Where do I send my Stars of HOPE after I have painted them for Iowa/Nebraska?
Iowa/Nebraska HOPE Bank
55237 Fox Road
Glenwood, IA 51534
We’ve seen the positive impacts that Stars of HOPE can bring to areas devastated by natural disasters, like the Greensburg Tornado, Northern California Wildfires, and Hurricane Michael in Florida. Families who have lost everything in wildfires feel a ray of hope when they see a brightly painted Star of HOPE… a stark contrast to the destroyed landscape.
Stars of HOPE is a program of the New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY). New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY) has a history in this part of the country. On the 9/11 anniversary, NYSTY brought over 220 volunteers from New York and from around the U.S. – including 20 FDNY firefighters – to build a chapel on the foundation of the structure where four young Boy Scouts were lost during the deadly tornado on June 11, 2008.
The National 9/11 Flag that was restored by NYSTY was re-stitched in Omaha and served as a backdrop for a 1,600 person luncheon that included the Governor of Nebraska, Mayor of Omaha, Sargent of Arms of the United States Senate and the Police and Fire Chiefs of Omaha, Nebraska.
